Tech Topic Series: Eco-Design for Circular Electronics Economy Wrap-Up Webinar

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iNEMI’s Eco-Design for Circular Electronics Economy was a series of interactive webinars featuring experts from leading organizations that are doing innovative/beyond-compliance eco-design work. The series will be an avenue for eco-design leaders to showcase their thought processes, strategies, successes and failures. The goal was to capture the best and most innovative practices being used today and to highlight the processes these leaders follow to determine where to focus their eco-design efforts. All webinars were recorded for broader distribution and exposure.


Wrap-Up Webinar
October 12 & 13, 2021

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Presentation Synopsis


This series of webinars was organized by iNEMI, IPC and Fraunhofer IZM to:
  • Leverage the eco-design knowledge of leaders to implement circular economy approach
  • Identify best practices that have the greatest impact by including a holistic view of the product in society and environment
  • Increase awareness and mature the industry’s ability to implement/practice eco-design best practices 
The many companies and presenters featured in this series presented excellent information. Common themes throughout emphasize that:
  • Collaboration is needed for success
  • Multidisciplinary engagement is critical
  • Company culture is a major driver for action
Here’s how to get started:
  • Get an overview of environmental impacts throughout your product's life cycle first — focus on what matters most, there are numerous win-wins to be identified.
     
  • There are some standard strategies — design for repair, recycling, reuse; repurpose, substitute, reduce, etc. — but solutions are very individual, and creativity and innovation are needed (plus inspiration from this series). Figure out what best fits your market and business model (consider changing the latter).
     
  • Collaborate internally and externally. Engagement (and enthusiasm) of numerous teams in your company are required to make the most of it — eco-design is team sport.
     
  • Multinational or small player, circular design is not a question of company size.
Here’s what the experts said:
  • Circularity is everywhere  – Nokia
  • Sustainability can be a gift with purchase. You can meet customer requests and achieve environmental benefits  – Samsung
  • Durability is the heart, the DNA of the company  – Schneider Electric
  • Sometimes it's surprising what can be done when someone asks for it; feel free to ask – Fairphone
  • ICT is the key enabler to decarbonize our lifestyle via dematerialization and efficiency gains – ADVA Optical
  • What can we do? We can close the gap: chemical recycling, mechanical recycling, plastic tax, collection, takeback – Google
     
Session Speakers Topics Recording
Session #1
May 25
Nokia DFE and Circular Economy; Materials Efficiency in Active Antenna Session 1
Samsung Eco conception – packaging reductions; Galaxy Upcycling program
Session #2
June 17
Schneider Electric Circularity is Business – Masterpact MTZ story Session 2
Fairphone How modular design enables circularity
Session #3
July 27
ADVA Optical Circular-economy challenges for telecommunications infrastructure equipment Session 3
Google Earth Compatible: Designing for circularity and blending the intersections between art and science